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Diggy Lawson is not your typical eighth grader. Instead of spending his time playing video games and texting his friends, Diggy enjoys being a member of 4-H and raising cattle to compete in the Minnesota State Fair. 4-H is an organization for people to join in the areas of environmentalism, animal care, veterinary science, and many more. With this organization, members must pledge to a clearer thinking about their world by using the four H’s: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. Diggy loves being a part of 4-H and has a crush on a girl named July, who has competed and won at the Minnesota StateRead More →

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In: On the Edge, Realistic Fiction (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Nell and Layla are sisters with a close bond. Their parents are separated, which requires the girls to rely on one another regarding their friends, school, and personal problems. Layla is the perfect child. She excels in her academics, is involved with extra curriculars at school, and is popular among her peers. Nell looks up to her older sister, especially as she begins her freshman year in high school. She wants to follow Layla’s footsteps and make her proud for accomplishing similar feats and experiences. As the new school year begins, Nell and her best friend Felix, are full of anxious excitement as they begin theirRead More →

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Callie did not have an average childhood. She never had a home, never attended school, and has very little memories of her father. Not knowing her life was different than the typical child, Callie enjoyed traveling state to state with her mother, Veronica. Veronica held odd jobs (not all of them legal), allowing her and Callie to stay in hotel rooms and eat many of their dinners from the lobby vending machine. During the middle of the night, Veronica wakes Callie to tell her they are leaving and her suitcase needs to be packed within minutes. While Callie is used to her her mom pickingRead More →

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In: Middle Grade Reviews, Romance (YA), Supernatural & Horror, Supernatural & Horror (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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Kai and Ginny are neighbors and best friends. Truly inseparable, two peas in a pod, they have spent everyday together since they were toddlers. As they have grown older, Kai and Ginny have planned their lives and futures together; get married, run off to New York, and pursue Kai’s dream of being a famous musician. Kai lives with his grandmother, Dalia, who is less than approving of Ginny. She refers to her as “neighbor girl” and sees Kai wasting his talent and dreams every second that he spends with her. Grandma Dalia is known to believe in some strange ideas, such as the evil SnowRead More →

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As if middle school is not frightening enough, Bethany Darling has just upped the rigor for her younger sister Jessica. Jessica Darling is about to start the seventh grade. Jessica thought she had a handle on it… until her older sister reveals to her “The Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection.” Bethany has paved the road for Jessica to succeed in middle school; Bethany herself has been declared the most popular, pretty, and perfect girl. Jessica has it easy then, right? Wrong!  As Jessica begins reading her Guaranteed Guide to Popularity, Prettiness & Perfection, she realizes that the guide is a lot more detailedRead More →

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Sarah Nelson is not your typical twelve year old. While most kids her age enjoy watching action movies and playing sports, Sarah prefers to read books and write letters to Atticus Finch, a fictional character from her favorite novel. Her best friend happens to be a plant and she has never known her mother. While Sarah wants to know her mom and see her, she is unable to because Sarah’s mom is living in a mental institution. Sarah and her father have moved around Texas so many times, Sarah has never felt as if she has had a home. Once a neighbor, classmate, or co-workerRead More →

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Suzanne Lafleur, author of Listening for Lucca, brings readers into a magical world where there is more to life than teenage drama. Siena isn’t sure what she calls her “special intuition”. She is able to feel, hear, and see things that other people cannot. At first, she assumes her imagination is taking her for an adventure when she catches herself remembering vivid dreams. In her most recent dream, she sees this beautiful house, right off the lake in Maine. There is a calm breeze, a relaxing atmosphere, and a family who occupies the house. This family seems strangely similar to Siena’s, but she cannot figureRead More →

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In: Action & Adventure (YA), Mystery & Suspense (YA), Young Adult Book Reviews
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She doesn’t know her name. She doesn’t know where she is. All she knows is that her fingernails have been removed, she has been physically attacked, and she’s a prisoner to two men. Before she can open her eyes, she hears the men discussing how they are going to “finish her off because she knows too much”. This action packed novel follows a girl who is unaware of her entire life. She has lost all her memories and is on the run from a group of men who want to kill her. Even going to the cops has gotten her in trouble. She has beenRead More →

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Science has proven that cloning is possible with animals such as mice and sheep.  These types of experiments are done to help researchers find cures to diseases and learn more about extinct animals. However, is there an ethical line that should not be crossed between cloning and humans? Cat Patrick explores this 21st century dilemma in her new novel, The Originals. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best have grown up as triplets. This suddenly changes when they discover the truth behind their identities and the secret their mom has hidden from them. The girls are not triplets, they are clones from “the original” girl who hasRead More →